Car-brake



(No Model.)

LBBYA'N. GAR BRAKE.

No. 359,665. Patented Man-22, 189].

' -WIIHIIHMHH E UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JOHN BRYAN, OF CANTON, OHIO.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,665, dated March 22, 1887.

Application filed June 30, 1886. Serial No. 206,731.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BRYAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved means for applying the brake-shoes to the truckwheels of cars, as more fully hereinafter set forth, claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings, in which Figure l is afront view of the lower part-of a car having my improvements in position.

Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the same, showing only one end of the car. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a truck provided with two sets of wheels, showing the application of my improved brake. Fig. 4 is an end view of one set of wheels, showing the brake-shoe applied; and Figs. 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale.

The body of the car is supported on any suitable truck having two or moresets of wheels, A. between which is located a beam or lever, B, pivoted between its ends to swing horizontally. Brake-shoes G on opposite ends of the beam are arranged to bear upon the diagonally-opposite wheels of each set. The pivotal point I) of the beam may be located at any desired point between the ends,preferably to one side of the medial point,to give an increased leverage for the hand-wheel-operating shaft D to facilitate the application of the brake. The lower end of the shaft D passes through the platform E of the car, and one end of a chain or rope, F, is attached thereto, the other end to the longer end of the beam B. A ratchet, G, is keyed to the end below the platform, and a pawl, II, pivoted to one side of the ratchet, is adapted to have one end, h, engage therewith. The other end,h,extending forward, is bent upward in front of the platform, within convenient reach of the brakemans foot. By this construction the as forming a part of my invention.

(No model.)

parts are sheltered from ice and snow, and are not likely to be frozen up, and are also protected from dirt and foreign matter, which clogs the parts as commonly arranged.

The, brake -shoes are preferably pivotally connected with the beam in such manner as to have a slight lateral play, to permit them adapting themselves to the change of angle between the faces of the wheels and beams incident to wear, so that the shoes may come squareagainst the faces of the wheels at all times when the brake is applied.

In practice the brake is applied by rotating the wheel-shaft by means of the hand-wheel D,which,winding the chain F, turns the beam B about its pivotal point b, bringing the shoes on its ends into contact with the diagonallyopposite wheels of each set. By shifting the pawl H the end h is brought into engagement with the ratchet and holds the brake applied. To release the brake the reverse of this;operation takes place, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet, the chain becomes relaxed, and the beam resumes its normal position.

The pawl H may be held in engagement with the ratchet-whee1,normally, by the spring 17, fastened at one end and bearing upon the pawl at the other. A stop, i, fixes the position of the spring and gives the requisite tension.

I am aware that a short equalizing-lever is pivoted midway its ends between two wheels of a truck on the same side of the car and has its opposite ends connected by links with the brake-shoes, which are adapted to bear upon said wheels in such manner that when the lever is turned about its pivot in a horizontal plane both shoes will be forced against the wheels. Such construction I lay no claim to Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with a truck having a series of sets of wheels, of a beam extending from side to side of the truck and pivoted between its ends, which ends swing horizontally between two sets of wheels oppositely arranged 011 each side of the truck, shoes secured to the outer ends of the beam and arranged to bear 100 upon the diagonally-opposite wheels of the two sets, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a truck having a series of sets of wheels, of a pivotally-supported beam extended from side to side of the truck, located between two sets of the wheels, and free to move in a horizontal plane, and shoes pivotally connected directly with the opposite ends for bearing upon the diagonallyopposite wheels of the two sets, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with the wheels of the truck and the brake, of the hand-wheel shaft projected below the platform of the car, a

JOHN BRYAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. BRYAN, PETER J. COLLINS. 

